Welcome to Guardians Weekly on the Cleveland Guardians Radio Network. Guardians Weekly is brought to you by Progressive helping Guardians fans save hundreds on car insurance. Hi, everyone, welcome to Guardians Weekly. Jim Rosen House along with you as we join you this weekend from Kansas City and Kaufman Stadium, where the Guardians are
taking on the Royals this weekend in a key Al Central matchup. Good show lined up for you this week as we'll check in with Rob Sorfolio, get a complete minor league report from the Guardians director of player Development, and we'll focus in this week on single A Lynchburg. We'll also hear from Tanner Biby, who is throwing the ball extremely well and he'll pitch on Saturday afternoon INKC. And we'll visit with long reliever Pedro Avila, who's been just terrific since
joining the Guardians after being acquired from San Diego early in the season. We'll also visit with John Kenzie Noel, the rookie who hit a home run in his first Major League at bat on Wednesday over in Baltimore. But first our weekend review and we begin Monday night in Baltimore, the first game of a seven game road trip very challenging against the Baltimore Orioles, one of the top teams in all of baseball. And then of course this series here against the
surprising Kansas City Royals and in Baltimore on Monday night. The Guardians got the scoring started in the very first as Stephen Kuan singled. Andre se Menez followed with a walk, and then Jose Ramirez came to the plate. The pitch swung on shot into the gap of left center base said Kwan will score. Hemantez big turnial, hold it second, and Jose Ramirez rifles an RBI single to left center. He now has sixty eight runs panted in that is too
fewer than the Yankees. Errand Judge and the Guardians first three have reached,
and just like that, Cleveland has taken an early one nothing lead. The Orioles answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the first inning, but the Guardians came right back in the second with back to back doubles, first from Gabriel Arius and then bow Nailor the oh one pitch swinging a bouncer toward first fair ball gets Biohearn down the right field line, kicks off the sidewall on his way to second with an RBI double his bone Nailer and
gabra Y Larius scored easily from second. So back to back doubles from Arius and Naylor the eight and nine men in the lineup. And that's bow Naylor's seventh double and sixteenth ARBI. And while we talk about the depth and the length of the Baltimore lineup, the same can be said about Cleveland's lineup one through nine. Baltimore tied it again with a run in the third, and it would stay tied at two until the sixth inning. That's when Ramirez stepped
in as the leadoff hitter. Well, we have played five innings and a two two ballgame in Jose Ramirez hits the first pitch deep to center field and
gone not tied anymore. Three to two Cleveland as Jose Ramirez has hit his twentieth home run, and so the Guardians have a pair of twenty homer bombers Jose Ramirez and the man coming to the plate in Josh nail unbelievable season continuing for Jose Ramirez and with that one run lead, Tanner Bibby was back out there in the bottom of the sixth trying to contain the dangerous Orioles lineup. Now the kick and delivery and the one to one, a swing and a
pomp up, this is playable. Third baseman Jose Ramirez, about halfway to home plate to the left of the mound, makes the catch. What a way to finish for Tanner Biby and once again a Cleveland starter is going six innings? Man? Is that a game changer when you have the best bullpen in baseball like the Guardians have? And then the Guardians bullpen took over. Tim Herron worked a scoreless seventh, Hunter Gaddis put up a zero in the eighth, and with a Monuel Classe getting a day off, it was Scott
Barlow getting the chance to close it out in the ninth. Two down Nobody on three to two Cleveland. In the ninth, Barlow's ready, here's the one two delivery, A swing and a mess got him with a wicked slider down and away ball game. How about Scott Barlow strikes out the side, gets his second save of the year, and it's sixth straight for the rampaging Guardians. They beat Baltimore three to two, so good stuff in the series
and road trip opener in Baltimore for the Guardians on Monday night. Tried to follow it up with a Tuesday night win against the Orioles and this was a wild one as once again the Guardians got on the board early first inning thanks to a big two out hit from David fry Here's David fry dhing. He drives one to deep left down the line that goes it's going to get down,
It'll roll to the wall in the scores. Ramirez on his way to second with a stand up double is David Frye Manneth acreage in left and left center for a left fielder. That was a high fly ball hit down the left field line, but there's just too much room to cover. And for Austin Hayes, he did everything he could to get there, but he just
couldn't get there. So David Frye with his eleventh double thirty second RBI won nothing Cleveland on back to back twoile doubles by Ramirez and fry But just like the previous night, the Orioles responded in the bottom of the first inning with their young phenom Gunner Henderson hitting a two run home run to put Baltimore on top. In the second. The Guardians offense was back at it with two men on and Gabrielarius at the plate. Now the two to one delivery swung
and ripped into deep left field. Hayes going back leap, SIT's over his head, short hops the wall that'll score Rodriguez and Naylor, and Gabrielarius with a two run double puts Cleveland on top three to two. In the second. Another absolute laser, this time from gabriel Arius over the leaping Austin Hayes in left. But again Baltimore tied it, this time with a run in the bottom of the second inning, and they took the lead with another in
the third, making it four to three Orioles. The back and forth continued in the fourth, again two men on for the Guardians, with Brian Rocchio stepping in. Here's the pitch, swung on, ground ball on through the left side of base. Hit that'll score Nailer. They're gonna hold Arius at third as on it quickly as the left fielder Hays, but the Guardians tie it on the RBI single from Brian Rochio. This game is tied at four.
Next up, it was Stephen Kuan. Here's the two to zero swung on ripped right side base head right field, that'll put the Guardians in front. Arius scores. The throw goes to third close play there in safely with a slide is Rochio and moving up to second is Kwan with an RBI single advances on the throw in. The Guardians take a five to four lead.
The beat goes on for Steven Kwan with twenty four driven in. Now just a simple ground ball through the right side, and then with two outs in a base open, Baltimore decided to take a chance pitching to Jose Ramirez. The Guardians have been lethal with two out run production this season. Looking for the big base hit here from Ramirez. Here's the pitch to him. He swings and skies it to left center, to the left of center, way
back there, and it carries on out of here. Oh my, Jose Ramirez with another deep drive just to the left of center and it goes into the Orioles bullpen and there is the big two out hit. It's a three run shot for Jose Ramirez and it's a five run inning for the Guardians, who now lead it eight to four, but the high powered Orioles offense wouldn't give it. A pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the fourth
cut the Guardian's lead to eight to six. Then another run in the seventh for Baltimore, and it was a one run game, eight to seven. In the eighth, the Guardians, hoping to add a little insurance, had Tyler Freeman get it started with a single, and then bow Naylor continued to swing a hot bat. Here's the set. The pitch swung on, drilled with the gap in the left center. That'll get down and it'll roll all the way to the wall end to score. Is Freeman hitting second. Nailor,
he'll try for third. The throw up by the cutoff man and it's a triple for bow Nailor and an army I and a huge insurance run for Cleveland. They laid a nine to seven. The next batter was gabriel Arius. Now the pitch swinging a tamper off the glove of the pitcher. Cano Ricochet's in the right center. I'll face it, then we'll score. Nailer and a four to two of this bounce for gabriel Arius and the Guardian and Cleveland leads at ten to seven. If Canoe lets the ball go, it's
an easy play for the second baseman Westburg. There would have been no chance for Nailer to score, but it ricocheted off Canoe's club at the mound and no chance for Westburg to get it as it shot by him in the right center for an RBI single. A three hit game for Arius, and he has three RBIs tonight and again the Orioles cut into the lead with a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, making it ten to eight Guardians, and then Emmanuel class A came on in the ninth trying to nail
down yet another say Rushman deepened the box open stance. He is hunched over at the waist, hits out of a crouch. The pitch to him swung on line drive leftfield, Quon coming on thanks the running basket touch ball game one Oregon State alone retires the other and it's another series win for the Cleveland Guardians. They have come to Baltimore and taken the first two ballgames against one of the best teams in either league, beating Baltimore to night ten to eight.
Well, that proved to be the last win of the week so far for the Guardians. As Wednesday, the Orioles won at four to two in the series finale, and the first two games of this series have gone Kansas City's way. They won two to one on Thursday night and on Friday night it was a ten to three Royals victory. Stay with us when we come back. One of the fun stories of the week the major league debut of John Kenzie Nowell and it couldn't have gone any better. We'll hear about that
next on the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio Network. Home Ownership Progressive, we know it's part of the American dream. It's sea to shining sea and water damage as far as the eye can see. It's freshly mode grass and a fence that was freshly vandalized by a pack of unruly teens. It's also around the clock protection when you bundle your Homonado with progressive, which can help keep the
American dream of home ownership alive and kicking. Get a quote a progressive dot com regresson cantal Future in compy affliates other chores and not the build of Middle States. Now the one to one pitch, a swing and a high drive and a deep center field bullance track walk don the third major league pitch and John Kenzie Nowell, what a towering home run to center. How about that debut? And it's there's one nothing Cleveland here in the second inning and he's
getting a standing ovation in the third base dugout. John Kenzie Noell, he hit it as high as he hit it far and his feet still haven't touched the ground. Welcome back to Guardians Weekly. And there was the first major league at bat for John Kenzie no Well on Wednesday night in Baltimore. We talked to him the following day and he said it was a moment that he will never ever forget. I mean, you know, it's very especially a moment for me, like I says, dream come true to me, but
like it's annother day in the business to pa. You know, we went out just made there was serious, man, you know, and I'm here for having the team with the I know we're gonna do it. You know he's gonna be there this year, you know, and he's better. A special moment for me. And you get back to the dugout and your teammates are going bananas. What was that like to come back and see their reaction
in the dugout. You know they did it too when they you know, they dis time they came up and the big lead, let's say, and uh, I mean they was too healthy for me. You know, it's a high orld for me. And uh, I mean I got a great team and you know, no doubt about it. You see it, and we're gonna keep doing it like that. They don't do that for everybody. They gave Brian Rokio the silent trip and when he hit his just kidding around.
You make it here at this point in time. You've had the the ups, the downs in the minor leagues, challenges and then good times. What's allowed you to get on a good stretch to get here this time? I mean the day by day, you know, working in my uh, in my hats, you know and stuff. Just try and pull the one and play, you know, try and heat homers, you know, and
like the baseball guy give you to you. Let's say, Infie, I take it, you know, basically the ob everything you know, I take it, you know, and I just know, try and do too much. Just pull the one play because I know I got a lot about one and I thought it was interesting. I read where you said spring training one of the most important things you learned was how Cleveland plays the game. What did you mean by that? I mean, you know, everybody's here.
You just we're gonna pull the one place. Run de Be's hard. That what we're here for. We're gonna keep doing that, and I'm gonna keep doing my team too, run de bes hard. You know, have the thing win, you know, and like we take it day by day man, and you know we we're gonna make it this year. John Kenzie no Well, joining us home running his first major League at bat last night, earned his high school diploma and was given that diplomba in a great ceremony.
Two springs to go out in Goodyear, Arizona, and he explains what that day meant to him. I mean, yeah, we still play baseball, but we were like we got a ducation too. Like I say, I'm working hard for English, for talk with you guys, for talk with my you know, speak with my team and with my staff something like that.
For you know, I do a lot of I still do it because, uh, I'm here in the United States and I want to you know, uh talk with my with the mind you with you know, with everybody here, and you spend your off seasons in the Washington, DC area, what has that beened like for you in terms of being in such a vibrant part of the country. To be around that all the time. I mean it's beautiful. You know. I'll go into d C, you know, going
to the park. It's nice area over there, and yeah, I mean it's like enjoy the day off with my family, and when I'm started doing my work, I forgot about everything, you know, for just when they just come through, you know, and we just play baseball every time at Columbus. How much of the day to day do they think about what's going on up here? You've mentioned it? What it The sole goal is to
reach the World Series here and win the World Series? How much is that on the minds of players at Triple A. I mean, you know, we got a great manager there, you know, every time, he's just the same, He's just like, it's just you. You need to ruin you as hard. It's no matter if you got here granbo Basi, you know, and uh yeah we do. And then Colombos Natty Shame when you get here, you gotta do the same because yeah, It's very important because
I don't know who You're gonna have us to win the World Series. Everybody gotta be prepared for that, you know, you know, yeah, John Kenzie, great to have you on. Congratulations on last night. Thank you. I find young man John Kenzie no well and credit to him. The English coming along nicely for the young man from the Dominican Republic who makes his off season home in Washington, d C. As he said, great place to be to enjoy a lot of the culture that this country provides, and
you can't get much more than that in that part of the country. And that young man very popular with his teammates and it was a heartwarming day to be sure on Wednesday when he hit a home run in his first Major League at bat. Stay with us when we come back. We'll talk pitching with Tanner Bibby and Pedro Abby La. That's next the Cleveland Clinic Guardians Radio network Jim Rose announced back with you. We are in Kansas City at Kaufman Stadium
where the Guardians are taking on the Royals this weekend. Welcome back to Guardians Weekly. Tanner Bibby has had quite the season for the Guardians. He will head into his start on Saturday with a record of six and two and a dropping earned run average of three point five zero. Monday, it was another win, this time over Baltimore, and that was after setting career highs and
strikeouts and both of the two starts prior to that. We talked to him before the outing hit Baltimore and we asked him if that high strikeout rate is a good indication for him that his stuff is where it needs to be. Yeah, I think so. I think I think not giving up the Homer. I think consecutive hits is a big one because I feel like if I'm executing my pitches and they got the good profiles on them, that I shouldn't really be giving up Doctor Bouck hits. And I think lost outing was a
good indicator. And I mean even even the Cincinnati was a pretty good indicator. I mean before the three on Homer, it was it was two week hits, and I mean if they go a week hit week hit three on Homer, I mean, I feel like it's gonna be a pretty rare thing when I'm on the mound and he's got to kind of take your licks and take your beatings sometimes and kind of get angry when when you look at pitching deep into a game, you get through six innings in your last start.
Top of rotation starters. They're expected to do that, especially in key situations when the bullpen needs a break and you really need a longer start. It sounds easier said than done, though, what's the key when you know you have to give innings and you're able to do it? I think, I mean a couple of people have asked me about this. It's about like for me, I'm always trying to go deep in the game. I always trying
to keep the pen with a light with a light workload. I think it's just kind of creating a narrative of whether it's real or not, about why I need to suc why I need to succeed, and why I want to or not want to, but why I want to like pitch well and kind of be holp be efficient and kind of just like it's a it's a mental trick that I can come of play myself for to compete that day and execute. So when you have a lot of strikeouts sometimes that tends to drive it
up. But is there a way to still record strikeouts and still get deep into a game. Oh, I mean yeah, I mean I think it's it's tough because I mean, I'm trying to throw my my nastiest pitch every pitch, nasty pitch is executed, and if I'm getting a lot of swings and misses, that usually means I'm getting pretty deep in not pretty deep, but I can get deeper into accounts. I mean, I think it's got
to be a good mix of punch out. It's got to be a good mix of maybe like some first pitch outs, but that's not something that can really force. It's just kind of something that happens. Like I'm trying to execute my best pitch every single pitch, whether that's a ground ball, that's a swing and miss, whether that's a ball. I mean, I think it just kind of depends on as soon as the ball leaves my hand.
It's kind of all on the hitter to decide what happens. You want to be your best obviously in every start of the season, but it seems like you're getting better as the season goes. That's been traditionally Cleveland pitching, where starting pitchers have gotten better as the season has gone along. What changes for you this year from say start one, two and three to where you are now when you're seemingly more effective. I think just kind of figuring out myself.
I think at the beginning of the year trying to do stuff there was delivery wise, profile wized that just maybe wasn't the right thing for me. And I think just getting back to kind of what made me successful and kind of what got me here. Like I think one of our phrases is like, what got you here is not gonna get you to the next spot, What's not gonna get you there? But I think sometimes you gotta fall back down to the basics and you kind of gotta do what got you here because
that was good enough to be the elite of the elite. And I think lately, I think I've gone back to my basics. I've made some adjustments, whether it was body or pitches, and I think I think it's going pretty good so far. I mean, just gotta keep building on it and has been going really well of late. Thanks a lot for coming, b
I appreciate it. Yeah, absolutely always fun to talk pitching with Tan or Bibby's got a great perspective on how he goes about it, and he has gone about it very well for quite some time here this season, another Pittreu has had a really nice stretch. Patrol avi La finally allowed to run on Friday in Kansas City, snapping a string of nine consecutive appearances covering more than twenty innings of scoreless baseball as a long man out of the bullpen, that
is not an easy role. He got the win on Tuesday night in Baltimore, and when we caught up with him the next day along with translator Augi Rivera, he talked about what has led to the good stretch of late in a new role for him and lac On Fianza Epo. Yeah, I feel like it's all about confidence. I feel like the team gave that boat of confidence of me when I was kind of like my lowest as a player, and I feel that like confidence has played huge dividends from me in the way
how I can throw the ball. And you mentioned that, and you start the season with a different team and then you end up here very early on and get an opportunity. What are some of the things that have happened here that have allowed you to have some good success, yo, Oportuni And yeah, I feel like in this business, there's a lot of very few for throwers out there, for pitches like that, because there are a lot of
people are ready to contribute to many teams. So for me has been the opportunity that gave me to you know, to pitch and to compete, and also watching a lot of videos, videos that I moments when I pitch really well in the past. So I've been working on those videos and that has allowed me to pitch the way I'm pitching now. Yeah, I have a starter's background, but you're in a role that that might be the hardest in the pen, the long relief role, because he just there's no consistency to
when you appear in games. How have you handled that transition and what's allowed you to have some success and a really difficult rolesla Mentally, yeah, I feel it's very difficult, but I think the key is having a positive mentality right Like always, this is really hard to pitch in a game. It's like ten oh from your team or a ten zero against you. So my focus is trying to help all the good pictures that we have in the bullpens.
So try to make sure whenever I get into the game, leave the game the same way, so I can help them out, like the next day you hail from Venezuela. There have been some really good hitters from Venezuela,
but pitching wise, uh, maybe underrated a little bit. What's it like being a pitcher and that that background that that maybe you have in terms of pitchers who were influential on you when you were growing up and maybe just getting to pro ball Maulana, I feel like my two main references were Felix Hernandez and also more closer a little bit, Kookie Carrasco, even though now being a teammate, but those are the two players that I look after when
I was becoming a player. And you mentioned Carlos and also Brian Rokio Gabrielle Aarius. What does it mean that they have some fellow countrymen on the same team just from the day to day of kind of getting through a baseball season. No, Phillyl don de jo eat feels really good, feel really good to have those guys around. My previous team, I only had like two fellow countrymen and one of them was a position player, so they didn't get
to spend them much time. But here, you know, we get to spend a lot of time and you really feel that sense of teammates and like, guys, we just want to be around every day. And you're part of the best bullpen in baseball. What's that been like for you, Felim, he thinks a previy lations to be part of that something so important, also so so competitive. I feel it helps you make better features and become a better preacher on a daily basically because you want to be you know,
always be the best, next to the best. Pedro, thanks so much for coming back. Thank you so much. That's Pedro Avila, young man who has resurrected his career with the Cleveland organization after being a career San Diego padre prior to this April. Well, stay with us while we come back. We'll hear from Rob Sirfolio get a minor league report for you. That's next the Cleveland Clinic, Guardians Radio and Netport home Ownership Progressive. We know
it's part of the American dream. It's a land of the free and the home of student drivers. Ready to beckon to your new fence at any given time, and it's firing up around the burgers and dogs on your rusty grill. With a faulty gas line that engulfs your tool shed in flames. It's also around the clock projection when you bundle your Homonado with Progressive, which can
help keep the American dream of home ownership alive and kicking. Get a quote a progressive dot com forgreson kensial future in company, offilios and other chories some unbailpmental stakes. Chif Rosenhouse back with you from Kaufman Stadium in Kansas City, where the Guardians are taking on the Royals this weekend, and elsewhere their minor
league teams continue with their seasons. Rob Sortfolio as the director of player development for the Guardians, and this past week he was following the low single a Lynchburg Hillcats, and we caught up with him to talk about last year's top draft pick, Ralphie Velasquez, who's put up some tremendous numbers this year. And Rob says, there's been tremendous growth for Ralphie since he joined the organization just a year ago. Yeah, it's it's been an impressive summer for Ralphie.
And you know, Rosie, to your point, when you really put the the age context around these players, you know, a lot of these guys could be seniors in high school, especially some of the international guys. So you know, Ralphie was obviously a high school kid we took last year and for him to, you know, it's a really a really sizable talent gap from playing against high school competition to twenty year olds in pro ball, and what he's been able to do is is really impressive. And obviously,
you know that first season. You know, we've talked about this in the past, just how much learning happens even away from the actual game time when it comes to building a routine and professionalism, and this is almost like they're these kids first job, so they're learning how to take care of their their
bodies and you know, kind of live away from their families. And it's pretty impressive what what he and a couple of these other young hitters have done at this level really you know, more than holding their own and doing some impressive things just when it comes to you know, the things we've talked about a lot of controlling, controlling the strike zone and getting your a swing off
consistently. And Ralphie's obviously a really talented hitter and can impact the baseball you know, you've seen him put a charge in the balls up to one hundred and ten multiple times this year, while also you know, taking some really quality at bats and working counts and putting the bat on the ball and he needs to, but also taking his walks and getting on base, and you
know, he's played a lot of first base. We've started to challenge him a little bit with some outfield exposure, which is you know, potentially something we might see in the second half this year in games. And really just been an awesome first year so far for him and a couple other of these young hitterers. Another young hitter at the Lynchburg level, and you mentioned you with nineteen years old Jason Cherio, what are you seeing from him as his
season progresses? Again, should be a senior in high school. Put back context around a nineteen year old international signing. Obviously, you know, everyone knows knows his brother with with Milwaukee and the things that he's been able to
do. But you know, it's pretty fun to be around Jason every day on our end, and you know, just see how he continues to grow and develop and how he goes about his work, and you know, his attention to detail and you know how he's really grown from you know, a kid in the d R two years ago to now really like managing and planning tactically for an at bat and you know, switch hitter that that obviously can do some impressive things, just like Ralphie can put a charge in the ball.
He's productive from both sides of the plate. We've challenged him a lot in the center field this year, you know, really trying to push his athleticism, and he's also played some corner outfield, but just a you know, a really talented young hitter that that has adapted nicely to this level. He got a taste of it at the end of last year after he finished
up in the ACL, but he's made a pretty sizable gap. And you know, we're excited about continuing to work with with Jason and hopefully pushing them as we continue to go. And I thought it was interesting and you mentioned those two Ralphie Velasquez and Jason Curio that there's something there that that could be really special. Why do you say that And what stands out that that the
potential could be really really exciting? Yeah, you know, I think just what the how they manage at bats and their consistency offensively and just how they're getting to some of their production is really impressive for two young kids at this level. You know, they're playing against young twenty year olds, a lot of guys that played at premier college programs last year, and they're doing more
than holding their own. And that's kind of in all phases of some of the things that we look at of getting on base and you know, putting the bout on the ball, but putting the bout on the ball in productive hard angles and they're you know, they're doing they're doing that fairly consistently for
two young players at this level is impressive. And I think the thing that you know is most impressive, and we continue to challenge both these guys with this is developing those pregame routines and habits that we want our guys at the highest level to you know, we want that to be our identity as an organization, like those winning habits of not being outworked and the value of preparation and taking care of the little things and preparing for what you're going to see
from a pitcher and just seeing those guys both really lean into some of those finer elements in the game has been a lot of fun and our I think, you know, huge credit goes to you know, Jordan Smith, our manager here and the rest of the Lynchburg staff for you know, working with these guys each and every day. It's Robs Folio joining us. He's the
director of player development for the Guardians. We're talking single aid Lynchberg. There are young players all over the place, and when we talk about work on the mound, a left hand or high round draft pick a year ago for the Guardians that maybe the youngest on the roster certainly and then maybe in the
league Alex clemy heart throwing lefty. What are you seeing from him as he develops here at a full season team, Yeah, exactly that you know, some of the some of the things that we saw in spring training and some of the things that our scouts loved about Clem coming out of the draft was projectable lefty, that that can run a ball up to ninety seven ninety eight, and he's really now like pitching a six month season for the first time
in his life. You know, this is a Northeast high school kid and those those seasons are really short, and you know, we've tried to be smart about just protecting his pitch counts and being really mindful of those things so that he can just pitch all year, like the value of learning from in game and being challenged to be in the strike center and prepare his body to you know, make a five day turn a couple times a year. So it's just been, you know, talking to him the last couple of days,
a great learning experience in his first year. And I think what's been awesome is he's continued to go out up there and miss bats and and really learn who he is as a pitcher and the things he needs to work on. And I give a lot of credit to him, you know, these high profile guys that come in into high school. For him to be as coachable as he has been has you know, that's been that's been a real feather in his cap and just you know, really exciting for the future of
what this might look like in a couple of years. I know, sometimes you look at at lines, whether it be for a hitter their stat line or for pictures, and at the lower levels you don't necessarily throw them away. But in the case of Jackson Humphries, you look at his line and nothing really jumps out yet. But what is it that that you're seeing about
him that has you excited about Jackson Humphries. Yeah, you know, I think it's I'm glad, you know, he's he's a name that's getting called out and he pitched in this league last year, started in the a cl similar to Clembian, another young lefty, but really has some high upside with
his stuff. You know, when Jackson's at his best, he's sitting load a mid nineties from the left side, and he can really spend a couple of breaking balls and you know, hasn't maybe had the scoreboard stat line production that we saw from last year, but he's been again highly coachable and learning some and us pushing him towards some things that we think is going to be really important for him long term. So, you know, a guy that
still has really exciting stuff as an ultra competitive individual. And I think, you know, when we zoom out a couple of years from now, we'll look back on some of the things we were able to learn from him really struggling for the first time in his life as a positive and you know, I give a lot of credit to him and Tony Arnold are pitching coach of just keeping you know, locked in on the things that we want to get out of this year, and regardless of the performance, I keep him motivated
and keep him working towards the things that hopefully help the long term. And one other name that we'll we'll touch on this week. At Single A Lynchberg, you've had some movement and this guy actually moved along on up to Lake County at a little bit higher level at single A roy. Let me get it right, Rourke Maltrude, You got it? And what did you see from him during his time in Lynchburg that that allowed him to be called up?
Yes, you know a little bit of a different profile on the than the last two guys and the two young hitters we talked about, older guy college, you know, pitching the SEC and we signed Rourke as a minor league free agent. Was actually a name we talked about on draft day, you know, last year. So we're able to get him in the off
season. And you know, he was a really nice stabilizing factor for for some young arms in this level, and he took care of his his business and you know, just as a guy that can really throw strikes and showed the ability to miss bats, so you know, to bring in some some undrafted free agents that are hungry for an opportunity. It was fun to launch Roorke pitch and you know, really do a nice job here in the Carolina League. And you know, was was excited we were able to challenge him
Now County down down the back half of the season. So you know, a guy that you know, maybe the you know, the average fan wasn't tracking, but I think his performance in Lynchburg and you threw had his first outing last night in Lake County and did a pretty good job as well. So hopefully we continue to get some some real quality, length and consistent outings at him. Well. Rob is always a pleasure. Enjoy your time in
the Carolinas and we will catch up with you again real soon. Thank you, Thanks, Rosie, appreciate it. That is Rob, Sir Polio, the director of player development for the Guardians talking single a lynch Burgos. Kids are ways away at just eighteen and nineteen years old, but he'll be here before you know it if they continue to put up the good numbers and always fun to find out who's hot and potentially on their way to the big leagues
at some point. In time when we catch up with Rob each and every week, that's going to do it for this week's edition of Guardians Weekly. As always, thanks to Brian Matse for all the help in putting together our show each week until next weekend when we join you from downtown Cleveland at Progressive Field as the Guardians will take on the San Francisco Giants. This is Jim rosen House reminding you that you've been listening to Guardians Weekly on the Cleveland Planet
Guardians Radio Network. Guardians Weekly has been brought to you by Progressive helping Guardians fans save hundreds on car insurance